Hayhurst's Scallopwing Staphylus hayhurstii

Butterfly: Wingspan is 1 to 1 ¼ inches (2.5-3.2 cm). Hayhurst’s Scallopwing is the easiest to identify of all of Alabama’s spread-wing skippers.The wing margins are uniquely scalloped. It is a relatively small dark skipper.The upperwing surfaces are dark brownish-black and interspersed with tiny white flecks. Males are darker than females.

Caterpillar: The young caterpillars construct a retreat by folding leaves, tying them together, and lining them with silk. The caterpillars remain within their retreat during the daytime, but come out at night to feed on host plant leaves.The caterpillars are green with numerous tiny white or yellow dots covering the body. A faint white sub-dorsal stripe extends down the body. The head is dark brown to black and lacks the dots found on the body. Partially grown larvae overwinter.

Chrysalis: During the fall months, the mature caterpillars drop to the ground and overwinter in a leaf shelter. Pupation occurs within the shelter in the spring. The chrysalis is pale olive brown with a tinge of rusty-orange on the abdomen. A white, powdery bloom covers the chrysalis.

Males perch on sunlit leaves on low vegetation near the edges of shaded woods. They perch and nectar with their wings fully spread.

This unique species is rare in Alabama and has been documented at less than five sites, mostly in northeastern Alabama. For several years, it was documented only from the banks of the Cahaba River in Jefferson County.

Distribution and Abundance

A dot on the county map indicates that there is at least one documented record of the species within that county. In some cases, a species may be common throughout the county, in others it may be found in only a specific habitat.

The sightings bar graphs depict the timing of flight(s) within each of three geographic regions. Place your cursor on a bar within the graph to see the number of individuals recorded during that period.

The abundance calendar displays the total number of individuals recorded within each week of the month. Both the graphs and the calendar are on based data collection that began in 2000.

The records analyzed here are only a beginning. As more data is collected, these maps and graphs will paint a more accurate picture of distribution and abundance in Alabama. Submit your sightings to albutterflyatlas@gmail.com.

Habitat

Hayhurst’s Scallopwing often prefers disturbed areas wherever its weedy host plants grow. This includes moist and shady areas often along streams that flow through wooded areas. However, this skipper may also be encountered in nearby open woods, roadsides and gardens where it nectars.

Host and Nectar Plants

In Alabama, Lamb’s Quarters (Chenopodium album), a member of the goosefoot family (Chenopodiaceae), has been verified as a host plant.

In addition to Lamb's Quarters, in nearby states, larvae have also been observed to occasionally feed on Japanese Chaff Flower (Alternanthera japonica) and Juba's Bush (Iresinediffusa) in the pigweed family (Amaranthaceae).

Hayhurst’s Scallopwings sip nectar from a variety of flowers.

For more information about the documented host plants and/or nectar plants, please visit the Alabama Plant Atlas using the following links: